Electoral Systems Flashcards
Where is FPTP used
To elect MPs in the UK general elections
What type of system is FPTP
Pluralist
Why has FPTP been criticised recently
Inability to prevent a hung parliament
Define mandate
Authority to govern
What are the four strengths of FPTP
Creates a clear mandate
Easy to understand
Prevents extremist parties
Open list
Main weaknesses of FPTP
Creates wasted votes
Excludes women and minorities
Encourages tactical voting
DISTORTS THE VOTE not proportional
What type of system is AMS
It is a hybrid (mixed) system:
• FPTP
• Proportional Representation
Where is the AMS used
In Scottish Parliament, welsh assembly, London assembly
How many votes are cast in AMS
2 votes
1 regional
1 constituent
How are regional seats allocated
On a corrective bases
Or ‘top up votes’
Calculated using d’Hondt formula
What are the main strengths of AMS
Parliament is more proportionate
Helps smaller parties gain seats=voices heard
Maintains clear link between MSPs and constituents
Reduces adversarial politics
Main weaknesses of AMS
Smaller parties gain less publicity than larger ones
More complex method of counting votes
More than one representative for an area
Where is STV used
In northern Irish assembly, European, local elections
Is STV proportionate or not
Yes
How do people vote in STV
Ranked
Ordinal